Who needs science when we have religion?

Kansas finally dropped to the bottom in list of state promoting science. The Kansas School Board approved language that casts serious doubts on evolution while giving not-so-Intelligent Design a nod. In fact, they have merely put religious faith over science, nothing more. The religious proponents tried to do the same in Pennsylvania but thankfully were kicked out by the public.  Dan Gillmor may be right in predicting that if America loses its pre-eminence in science, historians might cite such regressive moves as prime causes.

Interestingly, I saw The Great Tennessee Monkey Trial, a play on a real-life court case in 1925 that effectively portrayed the same issue (some things never change!) In a post-performance commentary, Alley Mills (from The Wonder Years fame) remarked that in the pre-WW II era, religion was given priority over science in education up until the Soviet Union launched the Sputnik. This incident sent the Americans into panic mode and hastened the re-introduction of science as a top priority in American education as it sought to catch up. The National Science Foundation (NSF) and NASA owe its ascent into public consciousness to this one event. The wheel comes to have turned a full circle as religious beliefs rears its head once again.

Does America need a second Sputnik?

Tweet This“Who needs science when we have religion?” [Short URL: http://www.ipatrix.com/?p=988] was published Wednesday, November 9th, 2005 at 10:36 pm by Patrix, filed under Politicking, Religion, Science. Both comments and linkbacks are closed.

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  • http://kuttan.blogspot.com Kuttan

    While Kansas went with the creationist, in Dover PA another hot bed of ID contreversy people voted out whole of the creationist board of education. So at least there are some people to uphold science over religion.

  • http://ipatrix.com Patrix

    Kuttan, I am glad that not everywhere in America, people think the same.

  • http://curiousgawker.blogspot.com/ gawker

    “Religious broadcaster Pat Robertson warned residents of a rural Pennsylvania town Thursday that disaster may strike there because they “voted God out of your city” by ousting school board members who favored teaching intelligent design.”

    Will this guy ever shut the eff up?

  • http://ipatrix.com Patrix

    Gawker, God will shut the eff-er up soon.

  • http://wisedonkey.blogspot.com wise donkey

    :)) perhaps it might need just that

  • http://www.reformistmuslim.blogspot.com reformist muslim

    Glad to hear that people are fighting back against intelligent design. One thought on creationism though. If one looks back to the Scopes Monkey trial, the ‘pro-evolution’ side were actually using evolution as a means of justifying theories of racial superiority.

    I think that some believers in intelligent design still have concerns as to what accepting evolution means for morality. In that sense I think that scientists and secular thinkers have to take a more holistic approach if they are to send i.d. to where it belongs.

    In this sense it would help if conservative pundits were intellectually honest – i think the new republic had a nice piece chronocling different conservative pundits views on intelligent design; very interesting reading.

  • http://ipatrix.com Patrix

    Wise Donkey, I hope you mean religion needs science and not vice versa.

    Reformist Muslim, The fight against intelligent design should definitely be intensified. It is nothing but a move to insert religion into the education system.

  • http://www.reformistmuslim.blogspot.com reformist muslim

    Patrix I agree with you. I think as with most things it is also important to win the argument in the hearts of christians as well as winning the various legal battles, as only that will lead to long term progress.


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